Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region (Enlarged Edition) [Paperback]

Melvin R. Gilmore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1991

A classic of ethnobotany, Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region has been enlarged for this Bison Book edition with thirty drawings, by Bellamy Parks Jansen, of plants discussed by Gilmore. The taxonomic glossary has been updated as well. Readers will find here, conveniently described, the uses that Plains Indians made of the wild plants they collected and of those plants they cultivated for food, clothing, medicine, and ornamentation. This fascinating book, originally published in 1919, reveals cultures that evolved in close harmony with their environment.

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A work extraordinarily modern in spirit, one of the very first to open up the realms of ethnobotany and ecology. . . . But Gilmore''s work is not only a treasure of ethnobotanical lore. The intellectual journey covered by the author . . . explains his astonishing openness of mind and his capacity, remarkable for the time, of making a synthesis of disciplines and lines of thought which were then kept separated. Gilmore was one of the first to understand at the same time that a wealth of . . . resources lay concealed in the botanical knowledge of the Indians . . . which the brutal destruction of native cultures would, without his effort, have wiped out irreparably."—Claude Lévi-Strauss, L’Homme

(Claude L�vi-Strauss L'Homme ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Melvin R. Gilmore (1868–1940) ended his distinguished career as curator of ethnology at the Museum of Anthropology of the University of Michigan after serving at the state historical societies of Nebraska and North Dakota and at the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation.

Product Details

• Paperback: 165 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books; Enl Sub edition (April 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803270348
• ISBN-13: 978-0803270343
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #528,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In-depth herbalism info for the region., January 14, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region (Enlarged Edition) (Paperback)

This book has a wonderful review and information about plants in the Missouri River Region of the United States, and a bunch of information as to how some of the tribes in the local area used them traditionally. My only beef with the book is that the authors did not do another one for at least one other region of the US - wish they would!